Of more than a dozen U.S. partners who have left global megafirm Dentons so far this year, nearly half are onetime McKenna Long & Aldridge partners in Atlanta. The departures follow the expiration of an unusual “commitment agreement” that legacy McKenna equity partners signed before that firm’s 2015 merger with Dentons, saying they would forfeit their capital contribution if they left for another firm before 2018.

At least 13 partners from Dentons’ U.S. branch left in January, including six from the Atlanta office, which had been McKenna’s headquarters before its July 1, 2015 merger with Dentons. By contrast, Dentons US has added only one lateral partner so far this year.